Yin and Yang
by Skyla Talon
Summary: Right before the men were called to war, Shang met his young bride that his father selected for him for the first time and they were quickly wed. Now that the Huns have invaded, he has to leave her behind to protect their homeland...or does he? After all, this is Mulan we're talking about here. Rating cause war and they're married people.
1. Wedding Crashers

Prologue:

The night was dark as the lone soldier patrolled along the Great Wall. Turning, he peered over the edge of the Wall, into the great space of wild woods that belonged to no one. A bad feeling settling deep inside of him, someone was moving down there. The wild animals were being too quiet for anything else to make sense. As if to confirm his feeling, a rope with a grappling hook attached to the end suddenly appeared out of nowhere, attaching itself to the edge of the wall. A gasp tore from him, as he turned and ran for all he was worth. He had to warn all of China that the Huns were invading!

~Emperor's Throne Room, Next Day~

The elderly Emperor of China clasped his hands together as he looked to the men that knelt down before him. They were soldiers in his mighty army, though none of them were his top general. "Let me get this straight commandeers. The Huns have invaded China?"

"Yes sir." They nodded fervently.

Silence fell as he thought it over, before turning to the councilman that was standing next to him, posed to take notes. "Get me General Li… and able bodied men from all households. If it is war that the Huns want… we will show them what are army is capable of."

"General Li? But sir! He is away due to the fact that his son's wedding is about to take place. They made the arrangement s for this wedding years ago and it will only…" The councilman spluttered, panic edging his voice.

"Chi Fu… do as I say." The Emperor firmly confirmed his orders. "Just one man can change the course of the war."

~Few Days Later, the Wedding! ~

Fa Mulan sighed softly as she stood in front of a long mirror, looking at her reflection. Her long straight black hair was pulled back into a bun, held together with a red ribbon, a single decorative comb tucked into it. A single strand of her hair hung down into her forehead. She was wearing a traditional hanfu, with white makeup covering her entire face, while bright eye shadow covered her eyelids and bright red lipstick painted her lips. A light layer of blush brushed against her cheeks, while gold earrings dangled from her earlobes. Turning, she spotted a small cricket standing on her windowsill watching her every movement. "Wish me luck Cri-Kee."

A soft, almost sad, chirp escaped the cricket as he watched as his friend moved to the door. Fa Zhou was leaning against his crutch as he watched her with sad, soft eyes. "This is for the best Mulan."

"I know Father." Mulan sighed, before allowing him to guide her out to the courtyard where the wedding to a young man that she had never met was to take place.

…

Li Shang as wearing the uniform for a captain in the Imperial Army, standing stiffly next to his father, the great General Li. The rather somber Fa Mulan, now Li Mulan, stood next to him to greet each guest to the wedding. A loud banging sound suddenly filled the air as a drummer announced the presence of a representative from the Imperial Court.

Moving quickly, the guests swarmed out of the courtyard to see what was going on. Shang followed his father closely, just as interested in what was going on as was the rest of the class. The women grabbed small their small children and moved away from town center to make room for the men. It wasn't until he felt something brush his side that he realized that Mulan had followed him to see what was going on. Shang bit the inside of his lip as he recalled why this marriage had been arranged so long ago. Mulan was too strong willed and, different, from other girls to get a good match. Or be a good silent wife like she was supposed to be. Fa Zhou and General Li were old friends and had decided that Shang could marry Mulan and hopefully get her to stay within the role assigned to her.

"You are supposed to stand back with the rest of the women." Shang muttered softly, hoping that his young bride would listen to him.

"I want to know what is going on here." She stubbornly responded, her voice just as soft as his.

Shang groaned, running a hand over his face. "Just stay here and don't say anything." Looks like he had his hands full already.

"We'll see about that."

Shang gritted his teeth together as he stared at the two soldiers that had escorted the councilman, Chi Fu, to the small village. "The Huns have invaded China!" Gasps rippled through the village, as the women now ushered the children inside so that they wouldn't hear what was being said. "All families must provide a man to fight in the army! The Cho Family!"

Shang tensed, wondering if he would go or not. He had the training and, most likely, there were going to be some new recruits that will need training. "The Fa Family!"

Shang stifled a groan as a cry of no escaped Mulan. Thrusting his arm out, he managed to stop her from running up and stopping Fa Zhou from taking the recruitment scroll. "The Li Family!" General Li went to accept the scroll, a nod of understanding directed to the Chi Fu.

There was a soft rustling as Mulan fled from his side, rushing back into the Fa Family Gardens. Shang followed her movement with his eyes, even as worry crept in. He wanted to help with the war… but how can he do that and work with Mulan?

~That Night~

"We best leave first thing in the morning." General Li commented to Fa Zhou as he lifted his steaming cup of tea to his lips.

Fa Zhou nodded in agreement, worry creasing his brow. "I agree with that plan."

"Well! I don't! There are plenty of young men out there to fight for the Emperor!" Mulan, who had been the one serving the tea, slammed the teapot down as she exploded, turning to face her father.

Fa Zhou somehow managed to keep his voice calm and even as he spoke to her. "It is an honor to serve one's Emperor."

"You will be killed! You have already served him; let someone else fill in for you." Mulan continued standing, not moving to sit.

Shang shifted slightly, before speaking slowly. "Mulan… it is your duty to…"

"I know what my so called duty is!" Mulan glared at him, before rushing out of the room.

Shang winced, even as Fa Zhou sighed as he lowered his cup slowly to the table. "Now you see why we need your help. You are the only chance that we have for her to bring honor to us all."

General Li dapped his napkin against his lip, a thoughtful expression on his face. "Perhaps we should duel after dinner. Make sure that you are still in shape from the last war."

"I would love to, general." Fa Zhou nodded in agreement.

Shang glanced silently towards where Mulan had disappeared, worry creasing his brow. What was he going to do about his new wife and her tendency to speak her mind?

**A/N: Done! Um yeah… tell me what you all think. Basically a what if Mulan and Shang were married the entire time. Not sure how well this is going to go. Basically Mulan's forward thinking has gotten her into soo much trouble that Fa Zhou contacted his old friend, General Li, and arranged for Mulan to marry his son, Shang. And word of the war reached them after the wedding ceremony. (I didn't go into details about that…) Next chapter a solution to whether or not Fa Zhou should go or not will be made. As well as how Mulan ends up at the army's training camp with Shang.**

**Review please!**

**SkyTalon**


	2. Leaving Town

Chapter One:

Mulan took a deep breath, careful to not let any of the candle's wax to drip to the floor. She was watching her father and the general spar with each other…and it wasn't going too good. Even as she watched, her father suddenly dropped sword, dropping to his knees as he pressed a hand to his side.

Turning, she walked back to her room, sliding the door open quietly. Moving swiftly, she opened up one of her drawers, pulling out the decorative comb that she had worn earlier…

"What are you doing?" Shang's voice spoke up from behind her suddenly.

Mulan jumped in surprise, whirling around to find him sitting on the edge of her bed. "I …uh… what are you doing here?"

A smile twitched at the corner of Shang's mouth as he looked at her. "We're married now. That means we share a room now."

"Oh…right." Mulan wrinkled her nose, having forgotten that little detail.

"Are you going to tell me what you're up to or not?" Shang glanced down at the comb in her hand.

Mulan rubbed her finger along the edge, worry creasing her brow. "I was going to…take Father's scroll and take his place in the army."

"Mulan! You can't do that!" Shang groaned as he ran his hand through his hair, staring at her as if she were crazy.

"Yes I can! I can disguise myself as a boy and…"

"No." Shang took a deep, trying to calm his temper as he stared her down. "Father will be there… he will know that you are not a boy."

Mulan fell silent, having forgotten about that little detail. With a shake of her head, she stubbornly looked him in the eye. "I will still find a way, if it meant that he doesn't have to go." Turning around, she slipped out of the room, dropping the comb down onto the low table that was near the door.

Shang watched her go, frustration flashing through him. Moving briskly, he yanked the door open. Nearly marching, he moved down the hall to where his father in law and father both were practicing their sword fighting skills. Pushing the door open, he watched with concern as they sparred, his father in law's old injury being very obvious as he heavily favored that side.

"Mulan is right in one aspect. You need to send someone in your place. You will not survive another war." Shang spoke softly, not really wanting to disturb the two older men.

General Li immediately turned to face him. "What was that Shang?"

Shang swallowed hard, before speaking up again. "I don't think you should participate in the war Fa Zhou sir."

Fa Zhou turned to face him, his gaze piercing into his own as if to read his very thoughts. "Very well then. Nothing says anything about sending a son in law in one's place. You may take my place Shang."

Shang started, surprise flashing cross his features. "What about Mulan sir?"

Fa Zhou paused, a frown crossing his features. "Right…Mulan…"

General Li smirked as he rubbed his beard, peering over at Shang. "I believe that I have an idea for what we can do with her…of course I get the feeling neither of you will like this very much."

"I am listening old friend." Fa Zhou gestured for his old friend to continue.

…

Mulan woke with a start, nearly sitting up in her bed. Shifting slightly, she rolled over…and found herself facing a completely out of it Shang. Mulan screamed loudly as she jumped out of her bed in surprise. With a yelp, Shang shot up out of the covers, reaching for a sword that wasn't there as he scanned the room. "Mulan! What's wrong!?"

"Why are you in my bed!?" Mulan took a few deep breaths to calm herself; sure that she had awakened her parents with that scream.

Shang froze, registering what it was that she was screaming about. With a soft groan, he ran his hand down his face. "Mulan… we're married now. I'm your husband. Can you please keep that in your mind for longer than five minutes?" It seemed to him at least that she forgot that detail every five minutes.

Mulan huffed, turning her face away from him. "Right. And the men are all leaving tomorrow… and I'm expected to stay behind with the other women and do what… stitch a fine stitch?" Sarcasm dripped from her voice as she scowled at the far wall.

Shang lay back down, pulling the covers back up. "About that… Father made arrangements for you so that I can go take your father's place in the war."

"Great." Mulan muttered under her breath as she slowly lay back down as well. "Am I right to presume that I'll be doing the washing and cooking for some family to keep me busy while you all are gone?"

"Well…you got the sewing and cooking right…" Shang mumbled as he shifted slightly, wanting to get back to sleep. "We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow. Let's get some sleep, alright?"

Silence filled the air as Mulan didn't respond, her eyes staring straight ahead at the ceiling above them. Shang sighed as he rolled over so that his back was to her. He really needed to get some much needed sleep in… especially since he wasn't so sure if this idea that the general had would really work. He could only imagine that it would backfire on him…big time backfire.

…

Mulan gathered Khan's reins into her right hand, twisting around in her saddle to look back at her village one last time. "So… exactly how much sewing and cooking am I doing again…just to be clear?" She wrinkled her nose, as if she wasn't impressed with this plan at all.

"A lot…can we just leave it at that?" Shang gritted his teeth together, barely able to keep himself from snapping at her from where he rode in front of her.

Mulan dropped her head down, allowing Khan to obediently follow the two white Warhorses that the Li men were riding. A covered supply wagon was attached to Khan, allowing the strong horse to pull it. It had several supplies in there; all of it for Shang and Mulan, General Li had his supplies in bulging saddle bags that hung from his own saddle.

Silence fell over the group as they made their way deep into the country, heading to the predestined spot for the training camp… and meeting place for the troops. Mulan stared down at her hands, wondering if this idea will even work. It sounded too… not by the book for the general to come up with it. And yet…it was just by the book enough to annoy her. Why couldn't she do something different? This was just plain crazy!

"Mulan? Are you ok?" Shang suddenly slowed his own horse down so that it matched Khan's steady steps.

Mulan lifted her head up, gazing blankly at him. "I'm fine. Just thinking is all."

"Thinking is a man's job. Your duty is to obey." General Li corrected her as he turned his horse around to see what was taking them so long.

Mulan frowned at that, but didn't say anything as she nodded her head in understanding. Not necessarily agreeing to do it… just confirming that she knew that was the way things were. Shang eyed her, noting that she didn't outright say that she would keep that in mind. She just nodded in understanding. Turning his head to the side, he fought the urge to smile. She was most definitely a smart one…that Mulan.

**A/N: Done! Ok… Shang is on the way to fight in Fa Zhou's place…and um… anyone have any idea on where they are taking Mulan that will have a lot of cooking (and sewing) for her to do? I was going to reveal it in this chapter but decided that having you all guess will be for more entertaining. **

**Also… I'm not entirely sure if Shang is OOC or not…but basically I'm having him be the kind of guy that is completely stressed out because his father told him that he is to marry some girl that he never met and he wants to be a good husband to her but they don't know each other at all. And yeah… Mulan forgetting that their married will be a running gag in this story. Uh…still don't know how Mushu will show up in this story…I want him though… Cri-Kee snuck into Mulan's saddle bag and should be making another appearance soon.**

**Review!**

**SkyTalon**


	3. General Li Leaves Camp

Chapter Two:

Mulan glanced around the mostly empty camp. "First one's here, I'm guessing."

General Li nodded in confirmation as he scanned the camp. "Yes. That is a good thing seeing as I am the General of the Imperial Army. I need to command order here with the early arrivals. Make sure that they understand that they answer to me."

Shang jumped off his horse, next to a large area that had been roped off, a wooden sign labeling it as reserved for the General. "Am I setting up camp next to you again? Though this does seem a bit big for the tent that you grabbed..."

"That would be because you will be staying here with the new recruits, while I take the fully trained troops to battle. We'll discuss it in more detail once everyone else has arrived and I am ready to leave." General Li calmly informed his son as he slid off of his horse.

Mulan climbed down from Khan, noticing that several men were staring openly at her. Turning her head away from them, she concentrated on untying the harness connecting Khan to the supply wagon. "Let me help you with that..." Shang placed his much larger hands over the top of her own.

Mulan stifled a squeak of surprise, taking a small step back. Which would have ended up better if Shang hadn't been standing right there. Shang grunted as first Mulan's heel grinded into his toes, then her elbows shoved themselves into his chest. Stumbling, he moved his arms across his chest as he doubled over. "A simple no would have sufficed."

"Sorry..." Mulan mumbled as she turned bright red, having not realized that Shang had been standing so close to her in the first place. Her hands shook as she pulled the large tent that the General insisted that they needed with Shang's new title of Captain.

General Li was fighting back a laugh as he watched the two of them interact, realizing that the real reason that Mulan did all of that was because Shang had startled her. Shaking his head, he went in search of the camp cook to let him know that he would be getting the help he was always asking for this time around...

...

Mulan pulled out her saddlebag...whcih fell open to reveal...Cri-Kee amongst the items inside of it? "Cri-Kee? What are you doing here?" She carefully picked up the unlucky cricket, setting him down gently on the edge of her bedroll. Cri-Kee chirped as he looked to her, rubbing his legs together to show that he was happy.

Mulan shook her head as she continued to unpack her things. Only to come across a small red lizard in another saddle bag. "Snake!"

"Excuse me?! I am a dragon... I don't do none of that tongue thing." As he, for it was most definitely male, spoke, he stuck his tongue out to show her how a snake hissed.

Mulan poked him in the back, knitting her eyebrows together in confusion. "Why is there a small dragon in my belongings?"

He sighed, dramatically, as he twisted around to look at her. "I'm running away. Simple as that. And I have a name. Mushu."

"Ok... Why do I get the feeling that I am going to be seeing a lot of you from now on?" Mulan mused aloud, vaguely wondering if she needed to tell the men about the two stowaways.

~Few Days Later~

Mulan knelt down next to the table that was set up in the middle of the tent, making sure that the map was perfectly smooth for when General Li and Shang were discussing battle strategies. She looked up, hands darting down to rest in her lap, as the tent door swished open. Shang nodded to her almost wearily, even as General Li walked over and lowered himself into one of the sitting cushions surrounding the table. "This is men's talk, you can go see if the cook needs any help with tonight's dinner."

Mulan rolled her eyes slightly, battle strategy wasn't too different from a strategy game that she played with her father, standing up she curtsied to the men before leaving the tent. Ignoring how the startled men, mostly the new recruits since the others had better discipline, stared at her, she went straight to the mess tent. Slipping silently next to the cook, Ping by name, she whispered softly to him. "Anything I can do to help?"

"Ah yes!" He nodded to a large pot of rice that was over an open fire. "Can you finish that pot for me while I get this pot served?"

"On it Ping." Mulan moved over, picking up a long wooden spoon to stir the pot with. Today was the day that the last of the recruits arrive and General Li was to leave with the troops...minus the new ones.

"Cooking again? Girl this is just plain boring!" Mushu groaned from where he was hidden in the shadows.

Mulan shot him a quick glare, she still hadn't told anyone about the stowaways. Turning her attention back to the pot, she concentrated on the menial task given to her. Just then, she heard a loud commotion that appeared to be getting closer by the second... Whirling around, Mulan barely stepped out of the way in time as Ping fell backwards, the pot that he was dishing out of spilling out all over the ground. Mulan looked over the situation, deducing the fact that it looked like a fight had broken out. "Is this exciting enough for you, Mushu?" Mulan snagged the red dragon up, not for the first time glad that he was small enough to make him easy to hide.

After shoving him out of sight, and harm's way, she hurried over to help Ping back up to his feet. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted General Li exit the tent, Shang and Chi-Fu from the Imperial Court, right on his heels. Chi-Fu smirked at Shang as he prepared to write something down on a piece of parchment. The general stared at the fighting for five seconds, before climbing onto his horse and nodding to Shang. Flicking his reins, he shot off, the rest of his troops right behind him. Mulan rubbed her finger down the wooden handle in her hand, half tempted to smack one of the young men that were throwing punches everywhere.

Shang marched over to the men, anger dancing in his eyes. "Attention!" All the new recruits, recognizing the command in his voice, leapt apart, standing stiffly before him. "Who started this?!" All hands shot forward to point at three men in the center. One was small and muscular in build,with a swollen shut eye, while another was tall and skinny, the last one appeared to tower over everyone and was bulky, though Mulan suspected that it wasn't muscle. Shang marched over until he stood right in front of them. "You're names...Now."

"Chien-Po."

"Ling."

"Yao."

Shang nodded stiffly to them, before holding out his hand. "Your summons?" They hurriedly handed over the scrolls that they had tucked in their belts. After scanning the scroll, and murmuring softly to Chi-Fu about something, he turned to face the rest of the recruits. "Here in the army, we rely on discipline and hardwork. As such... you all will start by picking up every last grain of rice. Am I understood?" Shang spoke firmly, his voice loud enough for everyone to hear him without actually yelling.

Mutters of yes sir filled the air as everyone began to grumble over the impossible task that Shang just placed in front of them. Whirling around, Shang disappeared back into the tent. Mulan sighed, before turning and helping Ping back up to his feet. "If it helps you at all Ping, the pot you had me stirring didn't spill. We still have a pot of rice."

Ping sighed as he peered over at the pot. "Very well. Dish up some food for yourself and Captain Li. I'll oversee the clean up. No need for you to get involved."

Mulan nodded, already working on picking her way back over to the still upright pot. "Whoa...what's a girl doing clear out here?!" It was the tall skinny one, Ling if memory served correctly as he noticed her.

Mulan leveled a pretty good glare in his direction as she picked two bowls up. "Who do you think cooks the food that you eat? Ping can't do it all." Turning, she grasped the ladle and filled the bowls.

"Who spit in her porridge? And I agree with you that it is odd for a lady to be here... unaccompanied." It was someone else, though she couldn't see who.

Ping moved to block her from view, his voice rather firm. "_Mrs. _Li is the wife of Captain Li...your commanding officer. I'll be careful with what you say and do if I were you."

There was some more muttering at that, but Mulan ignored them in favor of heading back to the tent with the hot meals in her hand. Pushing the tent open, she heard Chi-Fu speaking almost smugly. "This is just perfect. There is no way you can get these _boys_ ready for war in time."

"Just watch... I'll make soldiers out of them...no better yet. I'll make men out of them all." Shang sounded angry as he just about snarled at Chi-Fu.

Mulan cleared her throat as she moved further into the tent, making sure that she kept eye contact with Chi-Fu. "I brought dinner for the captain."

Shang sighed as he moved over to take his bowl from her. "It smells heavenly. Send my regards to Ping next you see him."

Mulan nodded by way of confirmation, settling down to eat her own food.

Chi-Fu, realizing that he was being dismissed, huffed loudly as he strutted out of the tent as if he were an Imperial Prince. Mulan picked up her chopsticks, wondering vaguely if there was something she could do to make him more...agreeable.

**A/N: Done! And we just met the rest of the Gang (Ling, Yao, Chien-Po, Mulan, and Shang, I always refer to them as the Gang) Mushu also made an appearance, hasn't told Mulan why he is running away or from what it is that he is running from. Cri-Kee also is there, though it is more of a case that Cri-Kee and Mulan have a deep friendship and he is worried about her being a married woman now. ANd yes, Mulan doesn't get punished with the others since she isn't a recruit. And she really doesn't like Chi-Fu. I mean, who does? I'm pretty sure that Disney merely created him so that we have a character that we can mentally strangle when Shan Yu is off-screen. He needs to be taken down a notch or two.**

**Good thing I know the perfect Gang to drive him up the wall and prove him wrong over and over again. *insert evil laugh***

**Review!**

**SkyTalon**


	4. I'm Sick So you're now sick!

Chapter Three:

Shang awoke with a start, shifting so as to look at his dozing wife. Mulan's hair was spread out over her pillow, making a silky halo around her. He pushed himself up onto his elbows, puzzled about why he was awake now in the middle of the night. A soft moan escaped Mulan as she shifted slightly, her brow furrowing as though she were in pain. Alarmed, Shang pressed a cool hand against her forehead. Heat nearly seared him as he noted that she was running a fever. "Oh Mulan..." Shang bit back a groan as he got up, realization about why he'd awoken early hit him. His wife was ill.

Standing up, he ducked out the tent, snagging up a water pot that was near his tent...hoping he knew what it was that he was doing. Approaching the well of clean water in the middle of the camp, he sat the pot next to it so as to lower the bucket into the water down below. He easily pulled the full bucket back up, carefully tilting it so that the water poured into the clay pot. Once it was full, he hefted the pot up, balancing it on his hip as he moved back to his tent. Ducking inside, he placed the pot down next to the bed. Now for the hard part. He had to find a clean cloth to use to cool her off. Moving quickly, he headed to the small tent that Ping was staying in.

Knocking on the tent pole, he waited for Ping to answer. "Captain? Is something the matter? It's the middle of the night."

Shang shifted slightly, before lowering his voice as if he was worried about waking any of the recruits. "Mulan is ill. Do you know where I can find a clean cloth to use to cool her off?"

Ping paused, eyeing him for a second, before ducking back inside his tent. A minute later he came back out with a rag in his hand. "You can use this sir. Let me you know if you need anything else."

"Thank you Ping." Shanf sighed with relief as he accepted the rag. Now to tend to Mulan.

...

Mulan fought the wave of nausea that threatened to overcome her as she tried to slowly get up out of her covers. She needed to get somewhere private, and away from the camp, to deal with this new development. Another wave of nausea rose up after the first one, forcing her to press a hand against her mouth. Suddenly an empty bucket was next to her as soft hands pulled her hair back out of the way. "Use this." Shang's voice was barely audible as he concentrated on what he was doing.

Mulan felt her heart nearly skip a beat at his voice, but did as he implied, upchucking her dinner into the bucket. Shaking from the extortion that she just used, she laid back down even as he carefully placed a cool damp cloth on her forehead. Closing her eyes, she fell back asleep... though she wasn't sure how long she would stay asleep this time around.

...

Shang knew he was supposed to be working with his men...training them to be soldiers. But he just couldn't bring himself to leave Mulan's side as she battled her fever. Ping had already brought over a simple, easy broth that would be easy on her stomach, and he had given his men an assignment so that they could get started. Hopefully catching enough fish to feed everyone and practicing their archery without supervision wasn't too hard of a task for the recruits. Kneeling down next to Mulan, he carefully began wiping her forehead with the rag that Ping gave him again. He carefully tucked a loose strand of hair back, his heart clenching at her lack of response. Her breathing was labored as she tried to keep herself from becoming so nauseous that she would empty her stomach's contents again. With a soft moan, Mulan's eyelids flickered, a signal that she was about to wake up.

Shang lifted the bowl of broth up, bringing it to her lips. "Come on Mulan... you need to drink at least a little bit." He pressed the rim of the bowl to her parched lips, prompting her to open her mouth slightly.

Mulan swallowed a small bit of broth, before forcing herself to wake up more, struggling to sit up. "Shang... what are you doing?"

"Taking care of my wife." Shang responded gently, already placing his hand on her shoulder, guiding her back down to a laying position. "Do you need anything?"

Mulan pinched her lips together as she shook her head at him. "No. Shouldn't you be working on training the recruits?"

Shang was amazed that she had noticed he was shirking his duty to help her. "I've given them a list of things to do today. Tomorrow if you are feeling better, I will start on their actual training. Right now, long as they're not being lazy, missing one day won't hurt them at all."

Mulan sighed, before going back to sleep, too exhausted to argue with him. Shang watched as she slept, amazed about her natural beauty. Lifting a hand up, he brushed another lock of hair back, wondering vaguely what it would be like if he had met her before they were married. Would her outspoken ideas bother him? Or would he find them enduring? With a quick shake of his head, he stood abruptly. He probably should check on the others. Make sure no one was slacking off.

Slipping quietly out of the tent, he observed the men in various places. Most of them were shooting their arrows at the targets that were set up, though he could see a few that were down by the river catching fish, and still others were cleaning fish that they had already caught. Nodding more to himself than them, he located Chi-Fu. "Still think that I can't make men out of them?"

Chi-Fu huffed as he scribbled something down on his parchment. "Oh please... you aren't even training them! All you've done is hover over your precious wife."

Shang fought the urge to strangle him, turning instead to head back to his ill wife. While his memories of his mother were a bit blurry, he did remember that during her last days his father rarely left her side, determined to help her break the fever that ended up being the end of her.

**A/N: Done! Yeah...the reason why this doesn't mention how training is going at all is because... I'm sick. And when I'm sick, my brain decides that my favorite characters in my stories need to be sick. So, we get a chapter with a sick Mulan. Sorry. ****About the labored breathing, typically after and before I throw up my breathing pattern changes so that it is more out of my mouth and almost sounds like wheezing. The reason why is because I have found that it helps fight back the nausea.**

**One the bright side, it has now been close to four hours since I last threw up, and crackers appear to be settling good. I want to say that my color has improved...but compared to what it is supposed to be I'm still pale. Some of it has returned though!**

**Review!**

**SkyTalon**


	5. Mulan Starts Training

Chapter Four:

Mulan wondered vaguely how it was that guys could tear through clothing so quickly. Her fingers tugged at the end of the needle, pulling it through the course fabric. Many of the new recruits had already dropped off a pile of clothes for her to mend, and it wasn't even the end of the first month yet! Shaking her head, she sat the pants that were finally finished down so as to turn her attention to the shirt that had been dropped off with it. Out of all of her duties, she felt that this one was the most tedious. She could basically do it in her sleep, if she wanted to.

The tent flap swung open as Shang walked in, carrying another bundle of clothes. Walking over to her, he dropped the bundle in front of her. "Here. Try these on." He turned to leave, leaving Mulan sitting there bewildered.

"Wait! What are these?" Mulan sat the shirt that she was about to work on to pick the bundle up.

"Clothes. For you. Meet me outside of camp, near that grove of trees that we noticed when we arrived here." Shang left the room, leaving a bewildered Mulan behind.

Mulan frowned, as she lifted the piece of clothing on the top to examine it. It was a dark, jade green colored simple cut dress...at least that was her first impression. Upon looking closer, she noticed that the sides in the skirt were cut off so that it looked more like a shirt with a long front and back than an actual dress. Sitting it to the side, she picked up and examined the other piece of clothing. This time it was a pair of tan breeches. Now very confused on why Shang would want her to wear such an odd outfit that was pushing propriety a bit too much. Figuring that she might as well change, mainly so that she can find out exactly what was going on with Shang.

...

Mulan ran a hand down the side of her new shirt, dress, she wasn't sure what to call it as she approached the place that Shang had indicated. He was pacing as he waited for her, his shirt already off and hanging on the low tree branch on one of the trees. Glancing up at her, he moved to grasp her hand, before leading her into the clearing. "War is a dangerous place. Especially if you don't know how to defend yourself. We'll just go over a few basic moves today...maybe for the next week or so. Once I feel like you have that down, we'll move onto more complicated ones."

Mulan arched an eyebrow upwards, now very confused. "Training women how to fight isn't how things are done."

"I'm not training you. I'm teaching you how to better defend yourself in case I'm not around to do it." Shang paused, turning to face her. "I will have no reason to worry about you once we move out if you know how to defend yourself and can keep up with the rest of us as we march."

Mulan gave a slow nod, still confused on why he was determined to train her, even if he claimed it wasn't training. "Do you think you can teach me how to shoot? That way I can handle things from a distance."

"Sure. I don't see why not." Shang shrugged. Mulan stared at him, now sure that he had lost it completely.

...

Shang swung his staff, only for Mulan to dodge him hurriedly. "Try to hit me...at least my staff!"

Mulan huffed as she swung her staff in a wide arch...somehow managing to hit Shang in the chest, causing him to double over in pain. "Sorry!"

"Ok...let's move on to archery."

...

Mulan shook her head as she looked down to the tomatoes, and then across at the tree where three tomatoes where pinned by three different arrows. "You want me to toss a tomato into the air and then try to hit it with an arrow...and hit the tree with the same arrow?"

"Yes." Shang nodded, arms cross as he waited for her to fire the arrow.

Mulan stepped onto the lever that the tomato was resting on, sending it into the open air. Pulling her bow back, she let lose an arrow...and missed. Again and again she went through the steps, missing both the tomato and the tree. Eventually, on her twelfth attempt, she got the tree...but not the tomato.

Shang shook his head, before gesturing for her to follow him. "Let's move onto some basic martial arts moves."

...

Mulan crashed into the tree behind her, Mushu appearing long enough to wipe her sweat off with a damp cloth. Gasping for breath, she lunged to her feet, moving again to try to get the upperhand with Shang. _This is nowhere near as easy as everyone makes it out to be..._

...

Mulan jogged after the men, feeling the weight of the supplies that she carried bearing down on her shoulders. Not noticing a rock that was on the ground in front of her, she tripped, spilling her load in front of her. Mushu and Cri-Kee darted out, trying to help her get back up on her feet despite how much bigger they were than her. Suddenly, they dove back into their hiding spots as a familiar hand reached down and plucked up her load as if it weighed nothing. Mulan lifted her head up to see Shang looking down at her. Instead of the scowl that she knew that he had a tendency to give his men when they don't meet his standards, he was calm, a small smile on his face. "Perhaps you should take a break and meet us up at the camp. You've gone far enough."

Mulan felt disbelief slip through her as she stared at him. If she didn't know better, she would think that he was going easy on her just cause she was a woman! Anger flared up as she slowly turned around and headed back to camp. She was going to show him exactly why he shouldn't go easy on her. Besides that...she knew where he kept the tomatoes and bow and arrows.

**A/N: Done! So yeah, upon realizing that by having Mulan work closely with the army, he had inadvertently placed her in harm's way, Shang decided to train Mulan for solely self-defense reasons. What he didn't expect was for Mulan to catch on that there are some, called all, things that he expected her to be nowhere near as good as his men. Unfortunately that train of thought isn't one that Mulan likes so next time she will be doing the end of the song I'll Make a Man Out of You. And make friends with Yao, Chien-Po, and Ling.**

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	6. The Rest of the Gang Catches Up

Chapter Five:

Shang woke up with a start, confused on why he felt as if something were wrong... it took him exactly two minutes before he realized that his wife wasn't in bed. "Where is she?" Shang rolled over, allowing himself to fall off of the bedroll. Scrambling to get ready, he continuously scanned the area in hopes that he was just being paranoid and she was still in the tent. No such luck. Pulling his hair back in its signature bun, he pulled aside the tent flap to find that the sun was fairly high in the morning sky...and all of his men for once were gathered together waiting for him without fighting.

"And what do I owe this wonderful..." The arrow that had been sitting at the top of the pole for the past several weeks suddenly slammed into the ground at his feet, barely missing him. Swallowing hard, he finished the sentence. "Surprise." Snapping his head upwards, he scanned the pole to see which one of his men had made it all the way up to the top, finally. And while he was asleep too! Shock settled deep inside of him as he stared at the last person that he expected to be on top of the pole. "Well...I'm dead..."

...

Mulan wiped her hands on a clean cloth, smiling as she listened to Ling, Chien-Po, and Yao chat amongst each other about their upcoming archery practice...one that they had invited her of all people to join. "When I was giving you self-defense lessons... this morning was not what I had in mind." Shang materialized right behind her, one eyebrow arching upwards.

"I know... but in my opinion you need to treat me the same as your men. Besides that, it's not like I'm gonna do that again. My hair keeps getting in the way." Mulan shrugged him off, picking a bowl up to fill it with food.

Shang opened and closed his mouth multiple times, before glancing over at his three men, who happened to be his worst ones, feeling as if he were at a complete lost. "You three have worked in some extra time over at the archery ring, right?"

"Oh yeah..." Ling nodded enthusiastically. Yao rolled merely grunted, while Chien-Po gave a small nod.

Shang sighed, before turning to face Mulan. "Will I be seeing you later?"

Mulan glanced over at him, confusion briefly flashing across her features. "I don't see why not..?"

Shang picked his bowl of food up, vaguely wondering if he would ever understand her...

...

Arrows flew through the air as they speared tomatoes to the trees that were lined up near the camp. Mulan pulled back the bow in her hand again, another arrow notched into place. Chien-Po, Yoa, and Ling were standing with her as they pulled their bowstrings back as well, just as Shang approached them. Pausing, he observed what was going on, even as they stepped on the piece of wood to send the tomatoes flying into the air. Instantly, they realized the arrows in unison, piercing the tomatoes as they hit the targets on the trees.

"I don't believe it..." Shang gasped, stunned that his men could actually hit the targets.

...

Mulan ran up ahead of Shang, leading the march while carrying the weights, Ling Chien-Po, and Yao right behind him. Shang shook his head, a single thought crossing his mind. Maybe they could get ready for the war in time to be of assistance to his father...

...

Shang crashed into the ground as Mulan suddenly did a quick kick into his side. Shang lifted a hand up, rubbing his chin in astonishment. No one has ever beaten him before since he was very small...

...

Chien-Po led the way across the river, tossing in a few flips as he crossed the river over the poles that they were using as a bridge. Shang allowed a wry smile, glad that he no longer had to hold the rest of the men while waiting for Chien-Po to cross safely.

...

Staff practice had never, in all of Shang's memories, gone so smoothly. Everyone, including he had to admit his wife and the worst of his men, were in perfect sync. Actually, thinking things over, the three that had been his worst recruits were now far better than any of the others. A thought that niggled at the back of his mind...

...

Shang oversaw the training on how to run through a field that had flaming arrows being fired upon it, smiling as he watched as Yao led the way, somehow making it look like a calm jog through a park.

...

Ling karate chopped the cement bricks... with his face. Shang, glanced over at the others, all of whom appeared to be doing just as well as him...almost. Yao and Chien-Po were the only ones that were at the same level as him.

...

Mulan joined them for their fishing. And quickly outdid the men by grabbing about five fish per hand. A total of ten fishes. Yao snagged another twenty, with Ling right behind him at nineteen and Chien-Po at fifteen. Shang lifted a large basket up, taking it over to them for them to place their catch in it. Next up on the schedule was target practice with the cannons.

...

Shang fought the urge to punch the air as every single target was hit with _perfect_ precision. Mulan clapped her hands as she looked at out at the men, excitement dancing in her eyes. No maybe about it... he was positive that they could make it...

...

Shang folded his spare shirt, even as a brisk knocked reached his ears right before the ruffling sound of the tent flap being pushed to the side. "Those boys are unsuited for war!"

"What!?" Shang dropped his clean shirt, turning to face Chi-Fu.

Chi-Fu huffed as he waved his clipboard into his face. "When the general reads _my_ report, he will never call you and your _men_ out to the front lines!" Chi-Fu spat out the word men as if it were a joke.

Shang narrowed his eyes, curling his fingers into a fist. "They are ready! More than ready!"

"Ha! That's a laugh." Chi-Fu snorted, already looking over his clipboard. "They are just a bunch of boys that are _playing _soldier. Until they become men, they will never see battle." With that, Chi-Fu whirled around, sweeping the tent flap to the side to exit the tent. Mulan, who was carrying a tray set for two, stepped to the side, her eyes narrowing as she watched Chi-Fu leave the tent.

Walking over to where Shang was standing, she sat the tray down, before carefully picking up his shirt that was now crumpled on the floor. "Mushu, Cri-Kee... I believe we are in need of your services."

Before Shang could ask her who she was talking to, Mushu and Cri-Kee popped out of their hiding places. Mushu rubbed his hands, claws?, together, excitement gleaming in his eyes. "Just tell me what you need me to do!"

Shang blinked, once, twice, lifting his eyes skyward, he spoke in a low voice. "Do I even want to know..?"

**A/N: Done! Shang has now met Mushu and Cri-Kee... and before you ask, yeah Mulan heard that entire conversation and agrees with Shang about the men's readiness. But, hey! That's what stowaway dragons are for! Tricking Chi-Fu into believing that General Li needs their help! This time Shang is in on the trickery though... Mulan still hasn't cut her hair yet... oh well. Don't think that's ever going to happen.**

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	7. To War We Go!

Chapter Six:

Shang drummed his fingers on his lap as he watched as Cri-Kee wrote out a message on a piece of parchment. Mushu was pacing next to the busy cricket, claws clasped together behind his back. Mulan had already retired to bed, softly snoring in the bedroll behind him. Cri-Kee stopped suddenly, allowing Mushu to snag the fake letter up. Scanning it, Mushu mumbled to himself, before nodding in confirmation, holding it up to Shang to read it as well. "What do you think? This should fool the old man for sure."

Shang bite back a retort about how they really shouldn't call Chi-Fu old... especially when they have no idea when he'll walk in on them. "It looks good...except that it sounds more like he is politely asking me to come join him for tea than we're in the middle of the war."

Mushu pulled the parchment back to him again, scanning it once more. "You're right... Cri-Kee!"

The cricket saluted Mushu, before leaping back in action, writing out another fake letter from the general to Chi-Fu. Mushu didn't pace around this time, hovering over Cri-Kee as he wrote across the page. "Perfect!" Mushu cried out suddenly as he snagged the paper out from under Cri-Kee with no warning. Shang read through it once, just to make sure that it did sound rather urgent, a nod of agreement escaping him the same time a small smile crossed his features. "Now that...will do super nicely."

* * *

Shang hated to sit around and wait... but as Mushu pointed out, he couldn't be the one to deliver the fake letter. Drumming his fingers on his knee, he stood up and started to walk out the door when Chi-Fu suddenly ran up to him, wearing a robe with a towel wrapped around his head. "Captain! Captain! Urgent news from the front lines!"

Shang mentally crossed his fingers that he was a good enough actor to fool the Emperor's Councilman. "What?! Give me that!" Shang dramatically snagged the letter from his hands. Shang half-heartedly scanned the letter...and then froze as he registered what it was he was reading. "Oh...it says here that they've been ambushed and lost most of their men and they need our help to drive the Huns back..." Shang was very much aware of the way his hand shook, and his heart thudded loudly in his chest. "We need to hurry or else the village that my father is safeguarding will no longer exist." Taking in a deep breath, Shang clenched his fist, wrinkling the letter from his father. "Tell the men to prepare to leave immediately. We move out in half an hour."

"Half an hour?! But it's the middle of the night!" Chi-Fu protested, taking an involuntary step back.

Shang turned to face his tent, pulling the tent flap to the side. "My father, THE GENERAL, says not to take our time. He needs us _urgently_ on the field." Shang stepped into the tent, allowing the flap to close behind him. Moving silently so as to not wake Mulan up, he began to pack their belongings.

A minute later, Mushu and Cri-Kee came charging into the tent. "Stop packing! We haven't been able to get the fake letter to Chi-Fu!"

Shang shook his head as he held up the real letter. "No need for it. I just received a real letter from my father requesting us for backup. Apparently most of his troops have been killed and they need my troops to fill in the empty spots so as not to be completely outnumbered by the enemy." Turning back to his packing, he lowered his voice to a soft whisper. "I just hope we are not too late."

* * *

Mulan stirred awake as the supply cart rocked gently underneath her. Wait... supply cart? Pushing herself into a sitting position, she glanced around to see that she was sitting in the front of the supply cart, which was moving steadily forward even as the sun rose from the east. Mulan narrowed her eyes, confused. She was pretty sure that they had discussed it and had decided that they will leave in the morning... and yet by the looks of things, they had left in the middle of the night!

Straightening, Mulan swiftly climbed down the side of the cart, her toes skimming along the grass for a few minutes before she hopped down. Moving swiftly, she headed to the front of the line where Shang was riding his horse, along with Chi-Fu. Mulan frowned, puzzled on how she was to get Shang away from Chi-Fu without anyone being the wiser. As if to answer her question, Ling materialized next to her.

"About time you woke up! Captain Shang insisted that we don't wake you when you're sleeping. Come on... Yao and Chien-Po are this way." Ling slung an arm around her shoulders casually, steering her away from Shang.

"I actually wanted to ask Shang why we moved out..." Mulan hesitated, brushing his arm off.

Ling shook his head as he stepped back into formation next to his friends. "Didn't you hear? The general needs our help! Most of his troops have been decimated."

Yao made a fist, punching the flat palm of his hand. "Just wait till I get my hands on some Huns! I'll teach them not to mess with us in no time!"

Chien-Po nodded eagerly, bending down so that he could communicate easier with the others. "Just think about what all the girls back home would think of us now if they could see... ah, no offense Mulan." He glanced briefly over at her.

Mulan lifted one shoulder up in a half-shrug, moving steadily next to him. "It's fine. War heroes are what everyone deems as perfect husband material...that isn't me of course."

This brought about a bout of laughter from the friends as they marched along, Mulan carefully picking her way through the weeds and sharp rocks. They were finally on they're way to war!

**A/N: Done! Um, yeah... I was going to keep going until...but that'll make it way long so next chapter! Ok...Angel wants to chat with me so I'm cutting it off now. Hope you all enjoyed this little chapter!**

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**SkyTalon**


	8. The First Final Battle

Chapter Seven:

It wasn't supposed to be like this. They were supposed to arrive, save the day and be overly thanked for a good job done. The village was supposed to still be in one piece...not this. Shang felt hollow inside as he scanned the scorched mess that used to be a village. There was no sign that anybody had survived, not even the women and children. Chien-Po approached him slowly, carrying a familiar helmet in his hands. "I'm sorry sir..." Chien-Po handed the General's helmet to the shocked captain.

Shang took his father's helmet from his largest soldier, tears threatening to overcome him. "Spread out and look for survivors." Murmurs of unease rippled through his men, before they dispersed, following his orders. Shang felt his knees buckle underneath him, tears threatening to overcome him.

A small, warm, hand landed on his shoulder, a soft voice murmuring softly into his ear. "I am so sorry for your lost..." Shang lifted a hand up, pressing it on his wife's hand, lifting his face up to look at her.

"We probably should move out. The Imperial City is not far from here." Shang sighed, moving stiffly as he turned to face her, pulling her instinctively into his arms.

Mulan hugged him back, worry and concern dancing in her eyes. Moving swiftly, she walked back to where Khan was still hooked up to the supply cart, pausing only long enough to stoke her horse softly on the muzzle. Shang glanced around one last time, before yelling for his men to come over. "Time to move out! The Huns are ahead of us and we need to beat them to the Imperial City!"

Shouts of agreement rippled through his men, before they dispersed, falling back in line for the marching formation. Shang glanced back at where his father had been killed in battle, his heart laying heavily in his chest. "Good bye Father..." Shang whispered softly to the wind, quickly swinging himself up onto his horse.

...

This is why an army should never have a too eager dragon amongst the men. Shang yanked his reins up hard to stop Equus's forward motion. "What happened here?!" He glared more at Mushu than at Mulan, since she was glaring at him and Cri-Kee was pointing a finger, claw?, at the dragon.

Mushu muttered something under his breath, before opening his mouth to respond to Shang. Before he could say anything though a flaming arrow shot across the sky and landed inches from where they stood. Wait... flaming arrow..? Shang spurred Equus as he spun the horse around, panic edging his voice. "Run! The Huns have found us...Mushu, you are in soo much trouble." He muttered the last part under his breath so that only a certain threesome heard him. More flaming arrows fell from the sky, one of which hit the supply wagon. "Save the cannons!" Shang bellowed to his men, not at all surprised when the three friends responded far quicker than the others.

Mulan lunged forward, quickly and effectively, removing Khan from the wagon. Swinging herself up onto him, she spurred the frightened horse forward, hooves pounding the ground as she somehow ended up leading the way to where the arrows couldn't reach them. Shang hung back, making sure all his men got to safety before joining them. Turning to face the Huns, who just crested the ridge to reveal themselves, he pulled his sword loose, nodding to Yao, Chien-Po, and Ling to start firing cannons at the enemy. Explosions erupted for several minutes before he gritted his teeth, and stretched one hand out to Yao, stopping him from lighting the last cannon. "Hold the last cannon."

Mulan frowned, worry creasing her brow. "I don't like this one bit..."

Shang didn't respond to that, the pounding of his own heart telling him all that he needed to know. They were too far from the Huns for the cannons to actually do much, if they did any damage at all. When the smoke cleared, it revealed that the Huns were ready... to totally crush them to oblivion. Hoping that he sounded more enthusiastic than he felt, he spoke directly to Yao. "Aim at Shan Yu."

Yao had barely leveled the cannon so that it was aimed at him when Mulan suddenly swung herself forward, snagging the cannon from him. "Wait! If we get closer and aim at the mountain behind them we can cause an avalanche that will bury, and kill, most if not all of them!" She sprinted forward, clearly determined to execute her plan.

"Mulan! Wait!" Shang gave chase halfheartedly, having realized as soon as she had spoken up that she was telling the truth. That would be the better way to deal with these foes than just aim at their leader.

Mulan stopped inches from Shan Yu slamming the cannon in the ground and taking him. Shang felt his heart clench as he watched as she dropped the match...and then was scrambling to find it even as Shan Yu bore down on her... Mulan snagged Mushu up, using his firebreath to lit the cannon. Shang bit back a snort as he noticed that Shan Yu looked completely bewildered on why she didn't hit him with the cannon...up until with a loud roar the avalanche bore down on them. Anger twisted his face as he slashed his sword at Mulan, pushing her to the side. Shang parried a second blow away from her, quickly pulling her up onto Equus, before turning around and galloping at full speed towards his men.

...

Shang murmured his thanks to Ping as the cook, who doubled as the camp's medic, stepped out of the small makeshift that Mulan was in, confirming that the young woman would be alright. Shang brushed past him, ducking inside to see for himself. Not that he was worried or anything... Mulan struggled to sit up, self-consciously pulling the blanket up to her chin as she looked over at him. "Hi..."

"How are you feeling?" Shang sank down on the edge of the bedroll she was on, taking her small hand into his much larger one.

"Been better..." Mulan murmured softly, pain fl;ashing briefly in her eyes as she shifted ever so slightly.

"The plan is to wait for you to rest and get better before we move out and report directly to the Emperor." Shang softly rubbed circles on the back of her hand with his thumb.

**A/N: Done! Um yeah... so all that just happened... don't worry, Mulan is still going to destroy the palace in the process of saving the Emperor. Just gonna take them some time to get there this time around since no way in a million years is Shang going to let his wife travel while injured, and no way will he leave her behind so that he can claim the honor of protecting all of China. Also, Equus is Latin for horse. I know that they most likely did not have any knowledge of the Latin Language, but I needed a name for the animal...couldn't just keep referring to it as Shang's horse.**

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**SkyTalon**


	9. The Final Final Battle

Chapter Eight:

Mulan inched her way towards the sheer cliff face that overlooked where the avalanche had buried the Huns. Somehow, it felt a smidgen too easy how it was that they defeated their sworn enemy. Crouching down behind a rock outcropping, she peered around it...just in time to see Shan Yu pop out of the ground, an angry roar tearing from his lips. His falcon swooped down, landing gracefully on his arm, while even more Huns popped out, responding to their leader's call. Mulan took in a deep breath, even though by the looks of things most of the Huns had perished, the ones that were left looked even more menacing than before. She scrambled backwards, just in time for her to feel a hand land on her shoulder.

"We need to warn Shang... I mean Captain Shang." Chien-Po looked uneasy at the sight of the Huns, glancing back at Ling, who took off at a sprint to warn their commanding officer.

...

"This is cannot be happening. We need a plan of action... They're gonna catch us by surprise!" Shang paced in the small clearing that the friends and Mulan had dragged him to, so as to warn him about the problem in private. Mushu and Cri-Kee were perched on top of Khan, frowns on their faces.

Mulan frowned, an idea forming in the back of her mind. "Not unless we catch them by surprise." All eyes turned to face her, confusion crossing their features. Mulan hurriedly backtracked. "I mean... what if we pretend that we think we really did won... just long enough to figure out what their plan of action is. I suspect that since their goal is conquering all of China, that would mean that they are going to go after the Emperor." Taking in a deep breath, she smiled mischievously at the group. "This is what we are going to do..."

...

"Move out!" Shang jumped onto Equus, snagging the reins back up in his hands. "Now! We've waited long enough. We must tell the Emperor of our victory."

Cheers rippled through the men, relief flashing across Chi-Fu's face, while Ping frowned, clearly confused on why he wasn't giving Mulan the time she needed to recover. Shang just hoped that Ping wouldn't notice that the supply wagon was being hooked up to a different horse than before. Chi-Fu can march with the others... he might actually complain less that way.

Whirling Equus around to face the Imperial City, he nudged his faithful companion forward, raising his chin high as if he truly believed that they had won the war. Of course, they only have one more battle to overcome before they win it, and they were doing it on their own preference. "Sir...about Mulan..?" Ping approached Shang, concern in his eyes.

Shang shook his head, his voice tight. "I'm leaving her in the most capable hands of my men. She'll be fine." Ping nodded in understanding, before falling back to the back of the group.

...

Shang had to hand it to Mulan. Having Mushu and Cri-Kee act as scouts was brilliant. They had informed him that the Huns were indeed in the Chinese Dragon that was dancing behind them. Advantage of having a small dragon and cricket on one's team. They truly were made for excellent scouts. Shang held out Shan-Yu's sword to the Emperor, loudly exclaiming their victory against the Huns. Cheers erupted through the air as the civilians roared with agreement with that statement. The Emperor raised the sword up high for all to see. "China! We can all sleep in peace tonight!" Only if the plan works...

The falcon swooped down, snagging the sword out of the Emperor's hand. Shang didn't bother to scan the roof-line to find that Shan-Yu was up there already. Cri-Kee had to stop Mushu from attacking him already. The Huns burst through the dragon, grabbing the Emperor as they charged into the palace. They slammed the door shut, locking it in place. Shang spun around to face his men, pointing to a nearby ram that was by chance set up and ready to use, thank you Chien-Po, "Grab that ram and try to ram this door open!" The men rushed forward, grunting as they struggled to lift the heavy piece of equipment.

Turning, Shang slipped around the side of the palace, approaching a tall pillar that appeared to be made from smooth marble. Removing his cape, he wrapped it around the pillar, using it the same way he had trained his men to use the weights. Reaching the top, he peered over the edge to see only the world's ugliest woman. Tall and skinny, with way too much to try and hide his manliness, Ling looked absolutely ridiculous disguised as a concubine. "I'm here. How far off is the rendezvous point?" Shang pulled himself up and over, rolling slightly as he landed on the open balcony.

Ling scowled at him, probably just annoyed that Shang didn't have to disguise himself as a woman for this plan. "Not far... let's get going now."

...

Yao nodded in greeting to them as they approached where he was cowering behind a pillar, also dressed as a woman. Shang winced as he realized that Yao made for the ugliest girl out of his men. Especially with his beard. Yeah...no mistaking him for female. Even Chien-Po, who was wearing a wig to make up for the fact that he was bald, looked more feminine than he did. Shang glanced over at Mulan...and promptly felt his mouth go dry. She was _gorgeous_. The gown she was wearing accented her slim figure far better than the workout outfit that he had made for her. Her long hair was carefully done up in the latest styles, and she only had a small touch of makeup on, just enough to highlight her features.

"Shang...? Is something wrong?" Mulan tilted her head to the side, fiddling with the fan that she was holding.

Shang shook his head, turning his gaze to look elsewhere. "No... everything's fine."

"Okay... does everyone have any questions?" Mulan glanced over at the three friends, tightening her grip on the fan.

Yao raised his hand up meekly. "Does this dress make me look fat?" Shang responded instantly, his hand darted forward as he slapped his man.

"Whose there?" One of the Huns that was guarding the door that the Emperor and Shan-Yu were behind called out, shifting slightly as if ready for a fight.

Mulan snapped her fan open as she held it in front of her face, glaring at the men. "Giggle!" She hissed vehemently, gesturing for them to copy her.

Shang wished that he had paper and ink so that he could sketch this whole thing out. It was the perfect blackmail. He flattened himself against the pillar, watching as his wife and three of his men, dressed as concubines, sauntered up to the Huns. Everything went well until one of the apples that Ling was using to make him look curvier, enough so that he could pass as female, fell out of his dress. Everyone froze as one of the Huns picked the apple up, smiling flirtatiously at Ling. Ling responded with a wry smile of his own...and pulled out his other apple. The others quickly pulled out their fruit as well and used it as ammo against the Huns. Ironically enough, while it took an entire troop several hours to drive the Huns back from a small village, it only took about thirty seconds of pure chaos for them to find themselves in a choke-hold or unconscious. Mulan tilted her head back, glancing over at Shang. "Shang! Go!" Right...time for part two of her master plan.

...

Shang scanned the roof-line were a large explosion was about to take place...if everything went according to plan. The Emperor's look of pure shock to learn that Shang had expected this to happen and had a few of his men infiltrate the palace under the guise of concubines, certainly meant that he was going to hear about this...especially after the fireworks. He spotted a figure wearing a dress leap from the roof, and hurriedly darted forward to catch her. His arms went around Mualn's waist even as he stumbled backwards, crashing into the ground. A loud explosion tore the silent sky in half as the roof that Mulan was just on exploded into several large pieces. "That...is one way to ensure that Shan-Yu is dead."

"_Shang_." Mulan swatted at him as they finally dared to stand up. They scanned the area, even as his men that had helped with the plan, along with Mushu and Cri-Kee, approached them.

"We did it!" Ling cheered as he slung an arm around Shang's shoulder as if they were lifelong friends. Funny really...now that he was thinking about it, he liked how much they struggled and then improved so much. As well as their individual personalities.

Shang laughed as he accepted the slaps on the backs and Chien-Po's victory hug. Mulan giggled, her eyes sparkling with relief. "Eh em." Gasps rippled through the small group, as they spun around to bow to the Emperor. He walked slowly forward, his gaze sweeping the group. "You had a female help you fight in battles, and you destroyed half of my home in doing so!" His raised, angry voice, sent fear surging though Shang as he wondered if maybe this was the end for him. "And...and in doing so you saved us all. Well done." The Emperor then did something completely unexpected, he _bowed_ to _them_.

Shang glanced at his wife, who responded with a small shrug. The Emperor straightened, his gaze soft. "What do you desire? I can give it to you... I can arrange for you to take a job on the council."

Shang shook his head, his fingers already wrapping around Mulan's. "Sire... I would like is not something you can give me. I just...want to spend sometime with my wife." He glanced over at Mulan, to see that a look of intense curiosity was there.

The Emperor paused, looking between them, understanding dawning in his eyes. "Then you may go and spend time with her. However before you go... the sword of Shan-Yu so that you remember what happened today when you saved us all." Pausing, he reached up and removed his Imperial Medallion. "And this so that all of China may know what it is that you have done." He lowered the Medallion down, only instead of placing it around Shang's neck, he placed it around Mulan's.

~Few Weeks Later~

Mulan lifting the basket of eggs up, balancing it on her head as she raced across the low brick wall that separated their property from their neighbors. Reaching in the end, she hopped down, moving the basket back down into her arms. Humming to herself, she walked to the kitchen, slipping inside. No surprise flashed through her upon seeing Shang stirring a pot of porridge at the stove. "I was able to get some eggs this morning. How does that sound?"

"Wonderful." Shang stepped to the side, so as to pull down the flat cooking pan that she would need to make fried eggs. "Do you want to cook them, or would you rather I do it?"

"Nah... I've got it. How about a spar later today?"

"Only if the boys don't show up." No sooner than those words left her mouth, than the door banged open.

"Hun! We're home!" Ling called out, right before he doubled over laughing.

Yao and Chien-Po groaned, before following him into the kitchen. "What's for breakfast?"

Mulan and Shang glanced at each other, before bursting out laughing.

_**The End**_

**A/N: Done! Hmm, yeah... schedule is, until further notice, is restricted to early-ish evenings and the weekend. Should be three weeks, but I'm not counting on it. **

**Reviews:**

**Guest: Can you use a name so that its easier to tell you all apart..? Well, here's the final chapter for you! Hope you enjoyed it!**

**kylosleepswithgrandpashelmet: Wow... I don't know what to say... I absolutely _abhor_ writing action scenes...which is ironic with how many of my stories takes place in a show known for their action scenes and thus my stories have a bunch of action scenes in them. Thank you for letting me know that you apparently think I did a great job writing that. And thank you for everything else that you said.**

**Review!**

**SkyTalon**


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